PHOTO GALLERY: A day of rolling Thunder honors all veterans

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July 17, 2009

By Gary Nelson / gnelson@crossville-chronicle.com The Crossville Chronicle Fri Jul 17, 2009, 04:31 PM CDT

I had the pleasure of going on the Veterans Thunder Motorcycle Run last Saturday. It was an amazing ride to South Pittsburg, TN where the Vietnam Veterans of Cumberland County were honored with a proclamation and the key to the city. The ride honored all veterans. The event had live music, food and a brief ceremony. It was a great experience.

I used to go on motorcycle rides occasionally many years ago and have always enjoyed the feeling of the open air rushing on your face, the sights of the country and sounds of the bike roaring.

A few years ago I did a feature story about Charles Gordon Wofford, a retired Vietnam veteran, who shared his remarkable story with me.

Gordon was meeting with the widow and her daughter of the medic who saved his life in Vietnam. The two, Deb and Angela Krebsbach, from Minnesota, never knew who the wounded soldier was that their husband and father, Ronald Krebsbach, was tending to when he was shot and killed by a sniper.

Gordon never knew the name of the man who saved his life. He found the family some 34 years later through searching on the Internet and discovering a memorial posting Angela made about her father on Manchu.org.

On Memorial Day 2006 the story ran and Gordon, who loved to ride motorcycles and was a member of Rolling Thunder, rode out to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

I saw his bike and after the story ran I jokingly told him, "You should take me for a ride sometime."

"Why sure. Let's do it someday," he said.

We became friends and talked often over the phone, but I never did get that ride with Gordon. The next year he got sick with cancer and was never able to ride again.

He passed away in February 2009. It saddened me that he never got to ride in the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans parade. It was something I know he would have loved.

I covered the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Reunion in 2008 and earlier this year. Both times, for me, the bikes and the thunder they bring along with them is an awesome sight and part of the parade.

When Ron Dyer, president and founding member of the Cumberland County Vietnam Veterans chapter, asked me earlier this year if I'd be interested in going on a fundraising ride for the group, I hesitated. I told him I would think about it. I hadn't been on a bike in more than 20 years. He said I could ride on the back of his Harley Davidson Ultra Glide.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to go on that ride to support the Vietnam veterans. I told Ron I'd go and decided to ride in honor of my friend Gordon.

The group met at Buddy's Beef and Dogs, a sponsor of the Cumberland County Vietnam Veterans, in the Cumberland Plaza shopping center at the corner of Main St. and Genesis Rd.

There were more than 200 bikes and the weather was perfect.

"It's great to have this kind of turn out. We have veterans, family members, friends and people riding in honor of veterans. It's a great thing," Ron said.

At a donation of $10 per rider all of the funds raised go toward funding the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Reunion 2010. The reunion is scheduled for June 5 - 6 in Crossville. It literally brings thousands of veterans and their families to Cumberland County.

As I got ready to go on the ride I called Gordon's wife, Pam, and told her I was going on the ride and would be riding in honor of Gordon. She was deeply touched and the day before the ride she came to the Chronicle and brought Gordon's helmet for me to wear and a donation to give to the Cumberland County Vietnam Veterans. She also came to see the group before the ride left.

At the check-in, all riders were encouraged to sign a U.S. Marine flag that will be sent to the troops in Iraq offering them support.

I proudly wore that helmet of Gordon's. I was happy to see so many people I know in Crossville come out and support this event and the Vietnam Veterans. I saw people who I had no idea were riders.

As we pulled out from Crossville, it was a thrill to look back and see a line of lights and bikes all the way from Watertank Hill back through downtown Crossville on Main St. as far as I could see. As the group rode to South Pittsburg many people pulled over, waved, cheered and applauded, offering their support.

Those sights and sounds and the roaring of the bikes are a great experience. It's wonderful to enjoy the freedom that all of our veterans have fought and sacrificed so much for. We should never take that for granted.

If you weren't able to attend this year's Veterans Thunder Motorcycle Ride, but would still like to make a donation to the Cumberland County Vietnam Veterans, or would like to volunteer for next year's Welcome Home Reunion, call Ron Dyer at 335-7245.

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